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潜 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
潜
qián
hidden
HSK 7, v, 15 strokes, radical 氵, rank #7688, Very Hard
潜
qián
secret
HSK 7, v, 15 strokes, radical 氵, rank #7688, Very Hard
潜
qián
latent
HSK 7, v, 15 strokes, radical 氵, rank #7688, Very Hard
潜
qián
to hide
HSK 7, v, 15 strokes, radical 氵, rank #7688, Very Hard
潜
qián
to conceal
HSK 7, v, 15 strokes, radical 氵, rank #7688, Very Hard
潜
qián
to submerge
HSK 7, v, 15 strokes, radical 氵, rank #7688, Very Hard
潜
qián
to dive
HSK 7, v, 15 strokes, radical 氵, rank #7688, Very Hard
qián(qian2)qian T2
1hidden
2secret
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
潜(潛)qián(qian2)
The character 潜 (qián) primarily means 'to hide' or 'to conceal.' It is often used in contexts relating to something that is not immediately visible or is kept secret, such as hidden talents or submerged objects. Additionally, it can refer to the act of diving underwater.
Strokes15Radical氵Frequency#7688DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note
In traditional Chinese culture, the idea of 潜 is often linked to the concept of '潜龙勿用' (the hidden dragon does not yet act), emphasizing the value of patience and discretion in achieving success.
Memory tip
Imagine a secret agent diving underwater to hide from enemies. The character 潜 resembles a person submerging (the water radical 氵) while hiding their true identity (the component 潜, where the '潜' sounds like 'qián' and represents secrecy).
Meanings of 潜
qián(qian2)
1hidden
2secret
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
Play it, then pick what 潜 means.
About 潜
潜Simplified
潛Traditional
15Strokes
氵Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#7688Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7
Podcast: 潜
Podcast: 潜
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AI study notes for 潜
Quick Contrast
潜 (qián) vs 隐 (yǐn) — use 潜 for contexts involving hiding or concealing something that is submerged or not immediately visible, while 隐 is more about general secrecy or obscurity.
Usage Notes
Be cautious with the tone; 潜 is pronounced with a rising tone (qián). It is often used in formal contexts when discussing hidden aspects of something, like 潜力 (hidden potential). A common mistake is confusing it with 浅 (qiǎn), which means shallow.
HSK Study Tips
While 潜 is not currently on the HSK list, it can be associated with concepts in HSK Level 4 vocabulary related to hidden or underlying meanings. Focus on using it in sentences that describe concealed emotions or hidden qualities.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse 潜 with the similar-sounding 浅 (qiǎn), which means shallow, leading to incorrect phrases like 潜水浅 (qián shuǐ qiǎn) instead of 潜水 (qián shuǐ, meaning diving). Always remember the context when using 潜.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 潜
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Example
Learning Lab
Knowing 潜 is seven skills, not one.
Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.
潜 = 氵 + 替. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 潜
IDS Structure⿰氵替
潜Full character
=
氵shui3
left
替ti4
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 潜?
How to say hidden in Chinese
“hidden” in Chinese is潜qián
The character 潜 (qián) primarily means 'to hide' or 'to conceal.' It is often used in contexts relating to something that is not immediately visible or is kept secret, such as hidden talents or submerged objects. Additionally, it can refer to the act of diving underwater.
When to use 潜
Be cautious with the tone; 潜 is pronounced with a rising tone (qián). It is often used in formal contexts when discussing hidden aspects of something, like 潜力 (hidden potential). A common mistake is confusing it with 浅 (qiǎn), which means shallow.
潜 or something close to it
潜 (qián) vs 隐 (yǐn) — use 潜 for contexts involving hiding or concealing something that is submerged or not immediately visible, while 隐 is more about general secrecy or obscurity.
What learners get wrong
Learners sometimes confuse 潜 with the similar-sounding 浅 (qiǎn), which means shallow, leading to incorrect phrases like 潜水浅 (qián shuǐ qiǎn) instead of 潜水 (qián shuǐ, meaning diving). Always remember the context when using 潜.
Write 潜
潜
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Practice writing 潜 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar patterns of 潜
潜 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 7 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
